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Terry Cooper
Terry Cooper is one of twenty-two England internationals to have played for Rovers, earning 20 caps for his nation between 1969 and 1974. He signed as a Rovers player in August 1979 at the tail end of his career on the field, and was promoted to player-manager eight months later. He played a total of 56 league games for the Gas between 1979 and 1981 and is the only man to have played for and managed both Bristol Rovers and Bristol City. Playing career Club career Yorkshireman Cooper's long club career started as an apprentice at Leeds United, signing his first professional contract with them in 1962 at the age of 17. He stayed with the Elland Road club for thirteen years, making 250 league appearances and scoring seven goals from the full-back position. All twenty of his England caps came while playing for Leeds, the last of which came under his former club manager Don Revie. In 1975 he signed for Middlesbrough, where he stayed for three years and played 105 league games, scoring once. He joined Bristol City in 1978, playing just 11 times in the league before joining Rovers the following season. He teamed up with his former Leeds captain Billy Bremner at Doncaster Rovers in 1981, taking up a position as player-assistant manager under him for a year before rounding off his playing career back at Bristol City for his second spell there. In all he made 496 appearances in a 22-year Football League career and scored nine goals. Club stats :N.B. only Bristol Rovers league appearances listed here International career Terry made his debut for England on 12 March 1969 in a friendly against France at Wembley, playing alongside many of the 1966 World Cup-winning side. He went on to win 20 caps for his country and played in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The majority of his international appearances came between 1969 and 1971, but he also played in one European Championship qualifier in 1974 against Portugal at Wembley after being recalled to the team by his former Leeds United manager Don Revie, three years after winning his previous cap. He lasted just 23 minutes into his final game however, being replaced by Colin Todd midway through the first half. International appearances :N.B. England's score is always given first. (Source: englandstats.com) Managerial career Terry's first taste of management came when he joined Bristol Rovers as player-manager in 1980, but his 18 months at the helm was not a success, leading Rovers to relegation from Division Two in his only full season in charge and was relieved of his duties in October 1981. Following this he had a brief stint as assistant manager of Doncaster Rovers before being made player-boss of Bristol City in 1982. His six-year spell at Ashton Gate was far more successful than his time at Rovers, winning over 40% of his games in charge, and he followed this up with a similar record at Exeter City between 1988 and 1991. He ended his career with two years at Birmingham City followed by an 18-month-long return to Exeter. Managerial stats Last updated 25 October 2011 (sources Soccerbase, Bristol Rovers Football Club: The Definitive History 1883-2003) Record at Rovers Notes: Category:Players Category:Defenders Category:Managers Category:English internationals Category:12 July Category:Players born in 1944 Category:Players who joined in 1980 Category:Leeds United Category:Middlesbrough Category:Bristol City Category:Doncaster Rovers Category:Exeter City Category:Birmingham City Category:50+ league appearances